Morocco plans to launch a tender this summer to build a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the northeastern Nador West Med port, the energy ministry's head of oil and gas said on Friday.
The ministry expects to reach financial close in 2025 with construction, commissioning and commercial operations due in 2026, Abdelghafour El Hadjaoui said in a presentation seen by Reuters.
The LNG terminal will be connected to an existing pipeline that helps Morocco import 0.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of LNG annually from Spanish terminals, enough to power two small electricity production plants.
Morocco also plans to connect the same pipeline to developing gas fields in its east and west. Morocco's natural gas needs are expected to increase to 8 bcm in 2027 from 1 bcm currently, according to ministry estimates.
Nador West Med is a deepwater port under construction with expected capacity of 3.5 million containers.
(Reuters - Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by David Goodman and Mark Potter)